Kelly is that Green-Beckham appears to be the No. 1 target for just about every other college program in America as well. Alabama, Ohio State, Florida, Florida State, LSU and USC are just a small sampling of the teams that, like the Irish, have already offered him a scholarship.

Kelly identified offensive playmakers, running backs, a quarterback and cornerbacks/safeties as the top needs in the next class. Lemming would add to that list an elite left offensive tackle.

Here then are the names, per Lemming, that would likely top the rest of the Irish 2012 wish list.

[square]ºZach Banner, a 6-8, 320-pound offensive tackle from Lakes High School in Lakewood, Wash. He is the son of former Pro Bowl lineman Lincoln Kennedy.

[square]ºRushel Shell, a 6-0, 210-pound running back from Hopewell High in Aliquippa, Pa., the same school that produced former Pitt great Tony Dorsett.

Advertisement

[square]ºJohnathan Gray, a 5-11, 190-pound running back from Aledo, Texas.

[square]ºNelson Agholor, a 6-2, 180-pound defensive back from Berkeley Prep in Tampa, Fla.

[square]ºTee Shepard, a 6-1, 175-pound free safety from Central East High in Fresno, Calif.

[square]ºGunner Kiel, a 6-4, 220-pound quarterback from Columbus (Ind.) East High and the nephew of former Irish quarterback Blair Kiel.

"What I really like (about what Notre Dame is doing) is they have over 70 offers out there right now, maybe over 80," Lemming said. "So by March 1, I look for Notre Dame to have over 100 verbal offers out there. That would definitely double anything they've ever done by March 1."

The previous wave

Ten members of Notre Dame's current freshman class ended up preserving a year of eligibility -- or redshirting, as most of the college football world calls it.

Few appear to have fermented.

In fact, nose guard Louis Nix, who didn't make Lemming's top 100 as a high school senior, would certainly make it now as a college sophomore-to-be.

"I think he is going to be a powerhouse as a nose tackle," Lemming said. "And I think he's going to be an All-American, the way (defensive line coach) Mike Elston does a good job of teaching these guys. I really like this kid.

"He is a prototypical nose guard in a 3-4 defense, but he may also be a great defensive tackle in a 4-3, which may be coming soon, with (Notre Dame having) so many great defensive ends."

The next move?

Unless there are some more leaks on Twitter, Kelly plans to wait closer to the March 23 start of spring practice before he announces any more position shifts.

Wide receiver-turned-cornerback Bennett Jackson wasn't able to contain himself, but at least he appears to be excited about the move and the new jersey number (No. 2 from 86).

Kelly is too.

"Three scholarship corners would be one reason why," Kelly said of his rationale for moving perhaps the fastest receiver to the defensive backfield for his sophomore season. "Obviously, there's a need at that position."

Kelly did address that need in the recently signed recruiting class, but he'll lose two starters, Gary Gray and Robert Blanton, after the 2011 season, so the need remains.

"Secondly, I think we all saw his ability in special teams to tackle," Kelly said. "Very solid tackler. Has great speed. Good ball skills. He's a tough kid. So if we have an eye toward 2012, here's a young man now (with) experience playing in big games, and he has the criteria necessary physically to excel at the position."

Right state of mind

Perhaps the most overlooked thread in Kelly's recently completed 2011 recruiting class is the fact he went into the nation's top five NFL talent-producing states and grabbed at least one prospect from each of them.

He signed three Californians (George Atkinson III, Josh Atkinson and Troy Niklas), two from Texas (Jalen Brown and Cam McDaniel), two from Florida (Aaron Lynch and Anthony Rabasa), one from Georgia (Stephon Tuitt) and four from Ohio (Brad Carrico, Jarrett Grace, Eilar Hardy, Chase Hounshell).

Vintage Parade

Not only did three Irish recruits make Parade's 48th All-America team, unveiled this week, but three former ND greats made Parade's list of the top 50 prep All-Americans of all time.

Former Irish quarterback Jimmy Clausen isn't alone among former Notre Dame football players who are back in school working toward their degrees.

Clausen's former sidekick, wide receiver Golden Tate, is also enrolled in college classes for the spring semester.

Tate is attending the University of Tennessee in his home state, while Clausen is enrolled at ND. Both players left Notre Dame last winter, with a year of eligibility remaining, to enter the NFL Draft.

Clausen played for the Carolina Panthers this past season, while Tate played for the Seattle Seahawks.